GRACIE BARRA AMERICA

PROFESSORS:

Black belt Marcio Feitosa

Black belt Otavio Sousa

ADDRESS: 14988 Sand Canyon Ave, Studio 1, Irvine, CA, ZIP: 92618

PHONE: (949) 795-5257

WEBSITE: www.graciebarraamerica.com

FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/graciebarra

ABOUT:

Gracie Barra is the one of the largest and most traditional Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Organizations in the World. Our schools, Instructors, and competitors are present not only in the United States or Brazil, but also in South and Central Americas, Europe, Africa, Asia, and Oceania.

Founded in 1986, Gracie Barra grew to become renowned in the Martial Arts world. Unyielding commitment to excellence on teaching methods, cutting-edge programs, and focus on a balanced life style for its members together with a bountiful Collection of Championship tittles, GB is considered by many the power house of Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Each one of the over 300 Schools spread worldwide has the mission of teaching Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu as a means for Individual development going beyond the contest philosophy.

When asked, “What does Gracie Barra mean to you?” All of our students would have the same answer: A family. That is not fortuity. It is rather the result of life works of extraordinary individuals like count Mitsuyo Maeda, Carlos Gracie Sr., Rolls Gracie, Carlos Gracie Jr., and GB Instructors who are dedicating their lives to the realization of their dreams and to the continuity of their predecessors legacies.

GB America in Irvine is a dream coming true. Opened since 2005, our school has acted upon the responsibility of being the headquarters and the main teaching reference inside the GB Family. We are now consisted of hundreds of students at all ages, gender and backgrounds, building a diverse brotherhood committed to the life long journey of self mastery provided by Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu.

Our website is just a virtual extension of our school. Here you find tons of information about our programs, classes, art and us.

If you are not yet a GB member, contact us to schedule your intro class. You too can benefit from the GB BJJ lifestyle.

VIDEO:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hnhuVUYz8xg

Draculino runs the camp at Gracie Barra America.

Monday through Friday this week, from 10:30AM to 12:30PM, nearly 70 Gracie Barra students gather at the team’s headquarters, in Irvine.

There, they meet for their team’s training camp for the first ever Worlds Master & Senior, with four-degree black belt Vinicius “Draculino” Magalhães at the helm.

The leader of Gracie Barra Texas traveled to California specially for this one.

“The turnout was great, and the guys’ skill are evolving on a daily basis. It’s amazing”, says Draculino in celebration.

The professor gave a hard time to his students

GRACIEMAG.com paid a visit to the camp last Tuesday, when Draculino dedicated the morning to teaching guard passes.

After showing three movements, the professor supervises his students, giving pointers whenever he sees something wrong.

To one of them, he gives more of a philosophical lesson, but also a very practical one: “In the master & senior divisions, you can’t afford to make a mistake. You have to get ahead on the scoreboard. There isn’t much time to comeback. So, when you get to a position, make sure you get the points before going for the submission,” lectures Draculino, after seeing a student going for the armbar before stabilizing a mount.

It’s two hours of intense training, and those who are competing train harder.

Draculino salutes each one of his students

“You have to get ready here! They are getting in shape physically and technically. At the end of the last day, I am going to give them a nice speech so they get in the right mindset to compete”.

Other teams are also holding camps, and GRACIEMAG.com will pay them a visit.

If you’re going to compete, don’t forget to show up early, as the IBJJF warns of traffic issues due to the LB Marathon on the morning of the event. Find out more here and here.

Keep up with all the action here and at GRACIEMAG’S Facebook, Instagram (@graciemagazine) and Twitter pages.

IBJJF just released the event’s schedule.

But his students in Irvine are not the only ones able to learn from the American Nationals champion, among other titles.

In a series of videos, Della Monica teaches how to sweep from the deep half guard.

Enjoy and learn.

For more info, go to graciebarraamerica.com

Prof. Flavio fine-tunes the presentation for the 3rd GB Instructor Certification Program launch. Photos by Luca Atalla.

It’s 7:45 am in Irvine, California, and Gracie Barra headquarters is a good bit busier than usual for this time of the morning. About 40 people, all in GB uniform, have their notepads and pens in hand and are getting settled around the screen set up on the main, upper-level mat area. It’s early by anybody’s standard, but the day started much earlier specifically for one blackbelt hunched over a laptop, putting the final touches on his presentation.

Professor Flavio Almeida, a third-degree blackbelt and the one in charge of the Gracie Barra Association, is about to launch the third Gracie Barra Instructor Certification Program, and he looks to be quite focused. The reason for this state of concentration is summed up tidily in a quote displayed on the first slide he’s putting up:

“The biggest challenge my students with key roles in GB organization face is to develop essential syllabuses and other standards about everything we do, so that our schools may provide the same benefits to the rest of the world as are enjoyed at our HQ.” Carlos Gracie Jr.

Professors, instructors and staff members who attended were joined by colleagues from all over the world via the internet.

That’s what the course is all about. Gracie Barra is expanding at breakneck pace, and the teaching methods, not to mention the way the schools are being managed and how Jiu-Jitsu is being presented to new students, are being improved at the same rate. The organization’s polices have also been changing in line with the goal of providing “Jiu-Jitsu for everyone,” and a number of the association’s efforts and resources are meant to make sure every Gracie Barra school in the world is on the same page, speaking the same language.

Having all school speaking the same language was the subject of Marcio Feitosa's opening speech.

Nearly 200 Gracie Barra instructors and professors enrolled for the course, which will stretch from now until late December.

A questions-and-answers panel with Flavio, Marcio e Marco Joca wrapped up day one of course.

“We know we’re asking a lot of everybody. We’re asking for two hours of your time every week for almost three months. But this will seem like very little if we’re all dreaming the same dream: to one day to have a Gracie Barra school in every city in the world,” says Almeida, who, upon awaking at four this Monday morning of October 10, was actually getting up just to take part in this huge dream.

The traditional group picture was taken right before the eagerly awaited sparring session that followed the course.

The evening of September 6th was a special one at the Gracie Barra America headquarters, in Irvine, California.

Master Carlos Gracie Jr handed out much deserved new belts and deegres for professors and students.

Many GMA members were among the graduated.

Daniel Montanha, from GB Miami, received his 3rd deegre.

Alberto Crane rolling

Alberto Crane, leader of GB Pasadena and GB Burbank, had the black belt of one of his instructors, Juan Pablo Garcia, endorsed by Master Carlinhos.

Other than that, Philipe Dela Monica got his 2nd deegre, as well as Rodrigo Chalita and Marcos Soneca.

GMA member Felipe Jerry, from GB Huntington Beach, was also present.

Montanha (top) rolls with Mike Colón

On a personal emotion, Master Carlos gave his daughter Carol Gracie the first degree of the purple belt.

Professor Marcio Feitosa’s sister, Vivi Almeida, got the 2nd deegre to her purple belt as well.

For more info, go to graciebarraamerica.com

Feitosa in photo by Ray Santana

Instructors and teachers at Gracie Barra America, in California, Caroline Gracie, Otávio Sousa and Marcio Feitosa demonstrate a few positions for overcoming the spider guard.

Check them out:

Feitosa em foto de Ray Santana.

Instrutores e professores da Gracie Barra América, na Califórnia, Caroline Gracie, Otavio Sousa e Marcio Feitosa mostram (em inglês) algumas posições para vencer a guarda aranha.

Confira:

Piu Piu and teammates / Photo: Deb Blyth

Black belt Marco Joca, otherwise known as Piu Piu, is one of the teachers at Gracie Barra America in Irvine, California.

Extending your arms to get out from the mount can be dangerous, after all it leaves your arms susceptible to an armbar, for instance. But not in the escape taught by Piu Piu alongside black belt Marcio Feitosa.

Find out how in the video below:

Piu Piu com os companheiros de time. Foto: Deb Blyth.

O faixa-preta Marco Joca, também conhecido como Piu Piu, é um dos professores da Gracie Barra America, em Irvine, Califórnia.

Esticar os braços para sair da montada pode ser algo perigoso, enfim, o braço fica exposto para o oponente aplicar o armlock, por exemplo. Não na saída ensinada por Piu Piu ao lado do faixa-preta Marcio Feitosa.

Entenda como no vídeo abaixo (em inglês):

Black belt team at GB America

Time to rest, a lot of fighters make the most of the end of the year to recharge their batteries. After a brief pause, though, the pace picks up all over again.

At the Gracie Barra branch in Irvine, California, some of the team’s principal black belts gather. And around there everyone is working at full steam.

Time de faixas-pretas na GB America.

Tempo de descanso, muitos lutadores aproveitam para recarregar as baterias durante as festas de fim de ano. No entanto, depois de uma breve pausa, o ritmo acelera novamente.

Na filial da Gracie Barra em Irvine, Califórnia, se reúnem alguns dos principais faixas-pretas da equipe. E por lá o trabalho já está a todo vapor.

Confira: